Animistic  Religion 


Part  of  Exhibit  on  Religions  of  the  World  shown  at 
STUDENT  VOLUNTEER  MOVEMENT  CONVENTION 
Kansas  City.  Mo.,  December  31. 1913-January  4, 1914 


Animistic  Religion 


“Be  of  flood  Cheer,  if  is  1,  Be  not  Afraid. 


Animistic  Belief. 


Animism 

is  the  belief  that  inanimate  objects  and  the  phenomena  of  nature 
are  endowed  with  personal  life  or  a living  soul;  also,  in  an  ex- 
tended sense,  the  belief  in  the  existence  of  the  soul  apart  from 
matter. 


Its  main  characteristics  are: — 


God 


is  a shadowy  Creator,  careless  of  human  concerns. 


The  Spirit  World 

is  very  real.  Demons  actively  malevolent  may  haunt  particular 
localities  or  objects — trees,  springs,  etc. — or  extend  their  influence 
over  a wider  area,  e.g.,  the  small-pox  goddess.  Many  of  these 
demons  are  undoubtedly  thought  to  be  the  souls  of  the  dead 
become  possessed  of  supernatural  powers.  All  spirits,  unless 
propitiated,  bring  calamity. 


Worship 

is  practically  bribing  the  favour  of  a malevolent  deity  or  pitting  a 
stronger  demon  against  a weaker.  Sorcery,  witchcraft  and  magic 
arts  are  the  natural  corollary.  Hence  the  inordinate  power  of  the 
devil-priest  in  many  animistic  communities.  Blood-sacrifices 
are  often  deemed  essential. 


Life 


is  consequently  hopeless  bewilderment — a ceaseless  effort  to 
deceive,  appease  or  avert  these  spirits — darkness  of  heart  and 
sheer  earthliness — "Let  us  eat  and  drink  for  to-morrow  we  die,” 
— atrophy  of  moral  instinct,  distinctly  immoral  practices, 
lethargic  content. 


The  Future. 

Belief  in  persistence  of  existence  is  common  to  all  Animistic 
views  of  the  after  life.  The  nature  of  that  life  is  ill-defined.  It 
may  be  an  uncertain  reproduction  of  this  life  with  its  lusts  and 
passions,  or  a renewed  existence  in  some  animal  or  natural  object. 


Animistic  Religion. 

Through  Fear  all  their  Life- 
time subject  to  Bondage. 


Tear 

of  what  the  Dead  can  do 
or  become, 
of  Demons, 

of  the  Forces  of  Nature. 


Estrangement  from 

Boa. 

The  Demon  Near,  Real  and 
Cruel. 

The  Supreme  God 
Shadowy  and  Indifferent. 


Confusion. 


The  worshipper  is  bewildered 
in  the  presence  of  a multitude 
of  Deities  mutually  antagonistic. 
He  feels 

that  though  he  may  propitiate 
some 

he  is  never  safe  from  all. 


Social  mistrust. 

The  Fearful  are  cruel  and 
distrustful. 

Fear  poisons 

Every  Social  Relationship, 
and  breeds 

Brutality,  Witchcraft,  Sorcery, 
Self-torture,  Cannibalism 
and 

Human  Sacrifice. 


hopelessness 

‘Without  God,  without  Hope.' 


Behold 

I bring  you  good  tidings 
of  great  joy  which  shall  be 
to  all  people.  For 
unto  you  is  born 

A Saviour. 


□ 


The  Son  of  God 
was  manifested 
that  He  might  destroy 
the  works  of  the  Devil. 


□ 


As  My  Father  Hath 
sent  Me 
so  send  I you. 


□ 


Cord 

when  saw  we 
Thee 
in  prison 

and  did  not  minister 
unto  Thee? 


□ 


Christianity. 

Perfect  Love  casteth 
out  Fear. 


Ciberty. 

"God  hath  not  given  us 
a spirit  of  Fear 
But  of  Power  and  of  Love 
and  of  a Sound  mind.” 


Access  to  Bod. 

"Ye  that  once  were  far  off 
are  made  nigh 
in  the  Blood  of  Christ.” 


Rest. 


"One  God  and  Father 
of  all.” 

"The  Name 

that  is  above  every  name.” 
"God  is  Love.” 


Cove. 

“Love  suffereth  long 
and  is  kind. 

Love  seeketh  not  its  own. 
Taketh  not  account  of  Evil. 
Rejoiceth  not 
in  Unrighteousness. 

Love  never  faileth.” 


Bladness. 

"Christ  who  is  our  Hope.’ 


Kansas  City,  Mo.,  December  31,  1913-January  4,  1914. 


Animistic  Peoples. 


Animistic  Faiths  prevail 

in  Central  Africa,  Central  S.  America,  Central  Australia  and  in  the 
unevangclised  Islands  of  the  Sea.  Also  in  the  sparsely  populated  regions 
of  farthest  North  America  and  North  and  North  Eastern  Asia. 

But  there  are  large  numbers  of  Animistic  tribes  in  other  parts  of 
Africa,  in  India,  Western  China,  etc.,  and  Animism  underlies,  mingles 
with  and  re-appears  in  the  popular  forms  of  all  non-Christian  faiths. 


the  Call  10  ihe  Church. 


The  rapid  disintegration  of  the  Animistic  and  Fetishtic  beliefs  of 
primitive  peoples  in  many  lands  presents  an  important  problem. 

Most  of  these  peoples  will  have  lost  their  ancient  faiths  within  a 
generation,  and  will  accept  that  culture-religion  with  which  they  first 
come  in  contact. 

The  responsibility  of  the  Church  is  grave  to  bring  the  Gospel  to- 
them  quickly,  as  the  only  sufficient  substitute  for  their  decaying  faiths. 


Points  of  Contact  with  Christianity. 

These  may  occasionally  be  found 

in  the  idea  of  a supreme  God, 

in  the  belief  in  personal  existence  after  death, 

in  the  instinct  for  sacrifice  and  prayer. 

At  least  they  have  tried  to  touch  the  Hem  of  the  Divine  Garment  in 
their  worship  of  Nature. 


tiejerence  doors  suggcuro. 

Brinton.  D.  G..  Relig.ons  of  Primitive  Peoples. 

Nassau,  Robert  N.,  T tichism  in  West  Africa. 

Roscoe.  John,  The  £ anda. 

Wameck.  Job..  The  i.iving  Christ  and  Dying  Heathenism. 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 
in  2016 


https://archive.org/details/animisticreligioOOstud 


